...mount? That gigantic deer? I loved that. Gave him a much more special and otherworldly look compared to what it would have been if they sat him on 'just' a horse. Plus, it looks perfectly elvish to me. ''Do not fear the shadows, for seeing them means light is near...''

...mount? That gigantic deer? I loved that. Gave him a much more special and otherworldly look compared to what it would have been if they sat him on 'just' a horse. Plus, it looks perfectly elvish to me.

Or did my eyes deceive me? But it did look pretty cool, either way. It was only short time on screen, and at least I couldn't see any bad CGI through my 3D glasses. But I have to ask why it has a bridle? Elves don't use saddles or bridles with their mounts, it's a pretty well-known Tolkien fact. PJ made a point of having Gandalf ride Shadowfax without saddle in RotK, elven style, so it's odd that he forgot this little detail.

even though the CGI wasn't as top notch as some others in the film. It didn't bother me that much. I think it would have been cool if he didn't have a bridle but, again, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of that scene.

I am geeking over Thranduil for a few days now. I agree, it feels pure Del Torro. And elvish in a way we never saw before in PJ's Middle Earth. Did the elk look fake ? Yes a little bit. Did it matter ? Not in the slightest. As I stated in another tread, it gives some more weight to the rumor about dwarves riders on wild boars at the BotFA. Now I am dying to see Thranduil's hall...

PJ will depict Thranduil as an unorthodox elven king. Someone who is not as gentle and gracefull in spirit as some of the others we have met in the LotR movies. He is of a different elvish bloodline afterall.

Perhaps this is a way to show his characteristics before we really meet him. *Baruk khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!*

I don't agree. Thranduil is of a different Elvish 'tribe' that we haven't seen much of yet. So I don't see how it's inconsistent and incoherent. ''Do not fear the shadows, for seeing them means light is near...''

First I thought wow... what a badass elf. Now I understand why the dwarves and elves are not the best friends at all and why Thranduil imprisons Thorin and the company ... because he is jealous! He really is a mo*******! Not all elves seem to be nice and helpful as Elrond or Galadriel. Also I liked Thranduils appearance... very elf-like. Perhaps a bit too fairy-tale elf-like but it's okay. We have Lorien- and Rivendell-elves now perhaps something different and exotic? Why not?

Now about the mount of King Thranduil... on one hand a deer seems the perfect mount for the "king of the forrest" because a deer IS very often called the "king of the forrest". And it seems very elf-like to ride on something different than usual people do. But on the other hand it looked a bit too much for me. It's funny because I really liked it and disliked it at the same time.

But I fear that The Hobbit became too childish with all these animals. Radagasts "Rhosgobel Rabbits", birds and hedgehogs, orcs riding wargs (big wolves), Thranduils deer and we also know (almost for sure) that King Dain will ride a wild boar and we haven't seen Beorn and the Beornings yet... what's next? Woodmen riding bears? Hobbits riding goats? Nazgûl/orcs riding big spiders or giant bats? I know: Different cultures, different look but hopefully we'll get more classic horses and ponies in DOS and TABA especially in Lake Town."There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power."

...in America what one would call an elk is a 'Cervus elaphus', while in England an elk is a 'Alces alces'. It was definetely not an Alces alces, but it did look like a giant form of Cervus elaphus. Anyway, the term 'deer' is not wrong to use for either species ;) But it's antlers didn't look exactly like Cervus elaphus, I think. That, combined with it's large size reminded me of an Megaloceros giganteus. I really hope to see more of this animal in the coming movie(s) and I really hope my 'Megaloceros-suspections' will be confirmed. Megaloceros are just awesome, to bad they're not around in the real world anymore. ''Do not fear the shadows, for seeing them means light is near...''

I feel the opposite of you concerning the over presence of animals. For me the abscence of wildlife in LotR was one of its weak points. I like to see a Middle Earth full of life and wonders. An elven king riding an elk is exactly the kind of things that will be the stuff of legends in the age of men.

I did not really notice the bad CGI (strange because that's something that bothers me often in films), but the fact that it was an elk was very cool. And I don't really mind that they use bridles. Wouldn't it look silly in battle scenes for example? It might work in the books, but not in 'reality'.

Perhaps the absence of these big wildlife animals (giant deers, boars or rabbits) in LotR is explained with the growing darkness and the disease that comes from Dol Guldur and already killed hundreds of animals in AUJ?

In the south (where LotR takes place) we've got the kingdoms of men... and we all know what mankind on earth is doing with our nature and the animals... domestication or extinction... perhaps the same happens to all the big animals in Middle-earth?

I think that these three factors result in the situation we see in LotR... but it's just a try to find the reason for that."There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power."

One of the things I like most about fantasy are the creatures
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I loved the oliphants, the watcher, the fellbeasts, the eagles and Shelob in LOTR and I am very happy that we get to see more of the fantastical creatures of Middleearth. Deer (I am preety sure it was Megaloceros-inspired) would make perfect sense as mounts for elves living in a dense forest.

all of those animals were present in LOTR actually...;) Aragorn carries a dead deer he (presumably) hunted in FOTR, he mentioned a wild boar in FOTR and Gollum took a dead rabbit to Sam and Frodo in TT. ''Do not fear the shadows, for seeing them means light is near...''

... neither was the deer (it was more a roebuck) big enough to be ridden by an elven king nor were the rabbits (more bunnies) strong enough to pull a sledge. I meant that the BIG animals disappear not all animals."There is only one Lord of the Ring, only one who can bend it to his will. And he does not share power."

then I agree with you. Although I take more comfort on the thought that in the deep, wild places these animals are still present during LOTR and are rising in numbers afterwards ;) By the way, I'm absolutely sure that the deer was not a roe buck, fairly sure it was a white-tailed deer which is much bigger than a roe. But not big enough to be ridden by an elven king, that's true. ''Do not fear the shadows, for seeing them means light is near...''